Inspiration

Your body is THE most intelligent and extraordinary thing on this planet. It always acts with purpose and has a reason for what it does. Often the body conveys messages in the form of symptoms that indicate that something is amiss. Conventionally, symptoms are treated with such things as pain killers, steroids, or inhibitors of some kind that make you feel better but the underlying reasons for those symptoms is not addressed. The imbalance that created those symptoms may still exist.

Disease is a sign that the body is out of balance and can no longer compensate. Our goal at Colorado Natural Health Center, is not to treat symptoms, but to listen to what the symptoms tell us and treat the underlying process to return the body to a state of what we call homeostasis, a state of balance.

According to the July 2010 Center for Disease Control report “Fourth National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, an average of 212 different environmental chemicals were found in the blood of 2,400 subjects tested. More and more we are finding that certain environmental chemicals can mimic our own hormones (endocrine disruptors) or incorporate themselves into our cells. These chemicals can disable or hijack our body’s own natural failsafe mechanisms that fight disease leaving us with fewer defenses against chronic ailments. The biotherapeutic drainage that we use at Colorado Natural Health Center is especially equipped to drain these toxins from cells leaving them to function the way they were physiologically intended.

Since Norman Cousins laughed his way to health in the 1970’s, the importance of emotion and spirituality in health and disease has never been more prevalent. Just as sadness leads to the physical response of crying or fear produces rapid heartbeat and adrenaline release, anger, cynicism, frustration and unhappiness have significant impacts in health and disease as well. Biotherapeutic drainage, through its unique homeopathic combinations, addresses and releases emotional toxicity that can reside in our cells acquired from trauma, cellular memory, or life’s experiences that are sometimes difficult to release.

Natural medicine has been around as long as humans and incorporates the use of remedies that occur in nature such as herbs and foods that provide specific nutrition. In the 1800’s, homeopathy and hydrotherapy, (the use of hot and cold water) were found to have powerful healing affects on the body and were incorporated into naturopathic medicine as well. Today, naturopathic medicine utilizes a vast array of natural remedies to treat common and not so common ailments without the use of pharmaceutical agents. Naturopathic doctors are experts at the use of complementary and alternative medicines to bring the body into balance so it can heal.

Naturopathic doctors subscribe to a unique philosophy that believes the body has an innate ability to heal itself. This is illustrated by anyone who has cut their finger. When you cut yourself, your body knows to stop the bleeding, create a scab and build new skin. That same healing “instinct” exists throughout the entire body. When there is an injury of any type, the body seeks to correct the problem.

However, if the body experiences a constant assault or if its ability to heal is impeded for too long, chronic disease can result. Often medications are given that only cover up symptoms but do not treat the cause. The underlying problem still exists and like taking the battery out of a smoke alarm, the warning signs are gone, but the smoke is still there. Smoke can turn into fire and a problem worse than the original one can result.

Naturopathic medicine seeks to treat the underlying cause bringing the body back into balance so that it operates as physiologically intended with all of its fail-safe mechanisms against disease intact. Using herbs, nutrients, nutrition, homeopathy, hydrotherapy and other modalities, we assist the body’s natural instinct and ability to heal itself effectively and completely.

To become a naturopathic physician, you must attend a four year, resident (onsite classes, not online) naturopathic medical school accredited by the Council for Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME) and approved by the Department of Education. Required basic science courses are comparable to regular medical school including anatomy, physiology, microbiology, biochemistry, histology etc. but emphasize how herbs and nutrients affect the body to facilitate healing. The second two years of naturopathic medical school focus on the use of natural remedies while concurrently treating patients in the clinic under a physician’s supervision.

Once the required courses, clinic hours and patient contacts are completed and the student receives their Doctorate in Naturopathic medicine they are eligible to sit for the Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Examination (NPLEX). This is the naturopathic equivalent to the USMLE (U.S. Medical Licensing Examination) board exam given to medical doctors. To be a licensed Naturopathic Physician, the student must pass the NPLEX and a formulary examination administered by the state in which they are to be licensed and complete approximately 40 hours of continuing education each year.

Biotherapeutic Drainage (“Drainage” for short) is an approach to healing that was developed in Europe over 100 years ago and brought to the U.S. only in the last 15 years. It synergistically combines the philosophies of Anthroposophy, Chinese Medicine, and homeopathy to produce highly effective, healing remedies.

The remedies called Unda Numbers, are plant and mineral based preparations that increase the natural ability of your cells, tissues, and organs to excrete toxins that may inhibit healthy function and contribute to chronic disease. I have also found that the Unda numbers can drain emotional toxins that may inhibit us from living our lives fully. Drainage is an elegant and deep acting way to rebalance, heal, and restore the body. The remedies are safe, non-toxic, will not interfere with other medications, and have a gentle yet deep acting effect.

How does your body rid itself of toxins?

Your body excretes toxins through organs called primary emunctories; that is, through specific organs that release waste products. Our primary organs of elimination (ie primary emunctories) are the bowels, kidneys, lungs, and skin. We remove toxins though bowel movements, urination, breathing out toxic carbon dioxide, and sweating out toxins. Two additional primary emunctories that are commonly overlooked are the liver and the emotions. The liver functions like the oil filter in your car cleaning your blood before it goes back into circulation. If the liver is compromised, toxins and wastes stay in the body diminishing health. Emotional toxins can also accumulate and in turn affect our health.

If our primary emunctories become inefficient or blocked, then the body wisely attempts to release wastes through different routes called secondary emunctories. Secondary emuctories are less efficient and include the mucous membranes, musculoskeletal system, skin and mental/emotional. Symptoms such as chronic sinus/vaginal infections/BPH, joint/muscle pain, skin rashes and infections or depression/anxiety can be signs that the primary emunctories are compromised and that the body is diverting toxic debris to the secondary routes of elimination; the secondary emunctories.

The accumulation of toxins in the body can be a factor in acute and chronic illness, genetic weaknesses, and chronic disease as well as creating blockages to therapeutic treatment. Once the emunctories are supported, gentle elimination of toxins follows. Then, other therapeutics are utilized to help you achieve and maintain an optimum level of health.

Suggested readings are meant to inspire and educate. Not responsible for the content, claims or representations of the listed books.